


Duality

by MicroKitty1313



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst and Porn, Free! AU, M/M, Religious Themes, demon!Rin, if you squint hard enough you might find a plot, kinda sorta graphic depictions of violence but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-07-27 23:34:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16229612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicroKitty1313/pseuds/MicroKitty1313
Summary: When Sousuke visits an abandoned shrine on his parents' property, he only expects to relive some childhood memories of times spent with his imaginary friend. But after bringing home a stone found at the shrine and coming face-to-face with a demon his life takes a turn.





	1. I Have A Confession

In hindsight, stumbling his way through the woods behind his parents’ house on this particularly humid summer day was a stupid idea. Now that he’s been tripped up on bramble and vines a couple dozen times, the odd sense of nostalgia he woke to in his old room that morning can go fuck itself.

It had been a few years since he visited his old home, usually opting for quick meetings with his parents in restaurants to avoid prolonged awkward conversations coupled with disappointed glances when the subject of his career came up, which it always did. But, while he was here, the urge to track down the abandoned shrine that was once his playground had him cursing and sweating his way through the wooded area he’d eventually been forbidden to go to once his mother found out that’s where he’d been running off to every evening after school in his younger years.

Sousuke was a lonely child back then. His parents vision of what his future should be meant hiring a teacher that was renowned for his students' success and his strict methods. This, of course, meant Sousuke never had anyone to play with. Once he’d stumbled upon that shrine, his imagination ran wild and he would spend countless hours there, making up scenarios where he was free to go where he pleased and have adventures. At some point, to make up for his lack of friendships, he recalls creating his own companion. Though he can’t remember many details of his imaginary friend now, the smile still remains vivid. Something about it was so charming, enchanting even, with the slight allure of danger adorning the curl of lips. Why he’d chose to give the boy monstrous sharp teeth, he didn’t know. He’s sure it says something to his mental state, though.

It all came to an end when he went home one night, leg littered with small cuts and splinters from falling through a section of wooden floor. He seemed to have left his imaginary friend at the shrine. Maybe he quit pretending he was there to keep him company in an attempt to forget about the fun he had, knowing he would be watched even closer than before and would be reprimanded at the first sight of, well, acting like a young boy.

The second Sousuke received his high-school diploma in the mail, he found a university he thought his parents would approve of and hauled ass. He could finally _breathe_ and damn was it blissful.

“There”, he says to himself, the rotted structure peeking through overgrowth covering the path to the shrine. After a bit more struggling, he finally reaches the steps of the forgotten building. He is cautious walking up, testing his footing to make sure it would hold him. The top step gives way and Sousuke grabs hold of a pillar, cutting his hand on a jagged piece of the lumber. He clicks his tongue against his teeth, eyeing the wound before absentmindedly wiping the small amount of blood onto his jeans.

The inside is dank, smelling of dust and mildew. It’s empty, save for a table pushed against the back wall and Sousuke huffs in annoyance. It was nothing like the magical worlds he created there with Rin. His eyes widen a little, the name suddenly manifesting in his mind. As he walks around the room, looking at the nothingness of it all, more details of the make-believe boy presents themselves. Light skin, but not pale. Silky burgundy hair that seemed to always fall into his face. And those eyes, fiery and deep. Everything about him was intense, from his looks down to his personality. Sousuke finds himself missing Rin, knowing how ridiculous it is to miss someone that was never real, to begin with.

With a frown, Sousuke makes to turn towards the doors, having let his feeling of nostalgia be quenched but pauses. Something under the table caught his eye, it glimmering in the noon sun even through the layer of dirt on the floor. He scoops it up, flinching at the sting from the cut on his hand but still rolls the object around in his palm to clean it. “Weird”, he mumbles, rubbing his thumb over a symbol carved into the stone. It’s smooth, black with specks of golden flakes and surprisingly heavy for its small size. He shrugs and pockets it, ready to get back to the house and begin packing. He just needed to last through lunch and then he could be on his way back to his apartment in Tokyo.

“Is that blood?!”

Sousuke raises an eyebrow at his mother who, in Sousuke’s opinion, has obviously been waiting by the front door to ambush him as soon as he’d returned. “Where?”

“Your pants!”, she says, horrified. “It’ll stain!”

Of course, that’s what she was worried about. “It’s fine, mom. I just got a little scratch on my hand”. When he notices how her expression hasn’t changed, he adds, “I never wear these out in public anyway”.

She shakes her head, moving to take a seat on the sofa in their living room, “Even at home you need to look your best. I’ve never understood why you’re so careless with your appearance. We raised you better than that”.

A heavy sigh, “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry. I’ll try harder”. Choosing to end the conversation, Sousuke retreats to his old room and quickly packs up the few clothes he’d brought with him for this visit. He changes his pants, hoping that will appease his mother and she won’t feel the need to scold him while they eat. He shoves the dirty jeans into his duffle bag and heads for the kitchen, stopping off in the bathroom to clean and disinfect the wound on his hand.

_______________

His stomach ached on the train ride _home_. He’d practically swallowed his lunch whole, trying to eat as fast as he could to get away from his parents. But aside from the discomfort of his belly, he was relaxed. Soon he would be in his apartment where he could laze around in his boxer briefs, watch tv until midnight and eat in his fucking living room if he wanted to.

And he did just that, tossing his bag into his bedroom then stripping as he made his way to his couch, dropping an article of clothing to the floor with every step. He knew it was sometime in the early morning when he awoke, groaning as he stretched his arm out toward the coffee table to blindly feel for his phone. It was finally just handed to him and he mutters a ‘thanks’, rubbing his eyes. He has to squint at the bright screen then groans again, louder, when he reads 3:06 AM.

He closes his eyes, hanging his arm off the couch and letting his phone drop to the floor. He’s almost asleep again when his brows furrow and something clicks in his head. His muscles tense and he very slowly opens his eyes. The two red glowing eyes his lock with has him jerking up into a sitting position. His heart is hammering wildly in his chest and his mouth has gone completely dry. “Who the hell…” is all he can muster, trying to decide if he should fight the intruder or just accept his fate. If he’s going to fight then he at least needs to see his opponent so he quickly twists his torso around and flips on the lamp at the end of the couch.

“Didn’t think I was so forgettable”.

Sousuke turns back to the person ready to lunge and, with any luck, take the other by surprise but he never even makes it off the couch. The vision he’s met with freezes him in place and knocks the air right out of him. The person sitting on the floor in front of him has him pinned with his stare, rubies that flicker like they’ve been thrown into a fire. Soft crimson hair that stops just below his jaw on the sides with some strands hanging in his face. Sousuke gulps as he tries to take in the rest of the other’s features. Dark, thin horns sprout just behind the _thing’s_ temples and curve forward, only long enough to stick out no further than his forehead. It’s resting its chin in its hand, claw-like fingernail lightly tapping against its cheek but then it grins and the sight is so familiar Sousuke gasps. “The fuck…”, he exhales, “Rin?”

“You weren’t this rude when you were little”, Rin says, jutting his bottom lip out in a faux pout. “Guess I’m not your best friend anymore?”

Sousuke lowers his feet to the floor and leans forward, propping his elbows on his knees and hiding his eyes in his hands, “I’m dreaming. There isn’t really a monster talking to me. It’s a dream.”

“Wow, excuse you! _Demon_ , not monster, thanks”.

He parts his fingers, peeking at the other, “I’m losing my god damn mind”, he whispers.

Rin rolls his eyes, standing up and placing his hands on his hips, “So frail.”

Sousuke blinks then moves his hands to clasp between his knees. His eyebrows scrunch together in confusion, attempting to make sense of the form now in front of him. It’s Rin, or at least how he remembers him. Two tiny horns barely stick out past the other’s hair and now he understands why he imagined him with sharp teeth back then. Only now, though, does he notice the tail, long and scaly with a tuft of red hair on the tip. He reaches out and hesitantly touches one of the demon’s pointed ears with his finger, “You’re real?”

“Yes, idiot”, Rin replies, swatting the other away with a much smaller hand, “Feel safe now? Less intimidated?”, the last word held a mocking tone to it.

Sousuke shakes his head, trying to wrap his brain around the situation, “I don’t understand.”

The small demon clicks his tongue against his teeth, “Alright, genius. When you were little and came to the shrine, you stepped on the stone so I allowed you to see me because I was lonely since I couldn’t leave the damn place.”, he grabs Sousuke’s injured hand and points a claw at the wound, “When you picked up that stupid rock, because of your cut, we became connected and because I’m bound to it you’re kinda stuck with me now. I have to stay in close proximity to it and if you try to get rid of it it’ll just find it’s way back to you.”

Sousuke snatches his hand away when, in the next blink, Rin is how he’d appeared to him before, tall and muscular, tail curling side-to-side in irritation. “So… I’m the only person that can see you?”

“Yep”, Rin sighs, dropping down onto the couch close enough to the other that their shoulders are pressed together, “unless they touch the rock and I _want_ them to see me.”

Sousuke is momentarily distracted by how warm the demon is. It feels like sitting in front of a heater on a cold winter morning. Not unpleasant in his air-conditioned apartment. “Let’s say I’m insane and decide to believe you, the figment of my imagination… Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, in the underworld or whatever?”

The demon snorts at that. “The underworld.”, he echoes back, again mockingly, “The stories humans come up with are ridiculous”.

He wants to snap at the other, but catching an attitude with a demon would probably be one of his dumber decisions. “Are you-”, Sousuke fumbles with his words, now thinking through exactly how dangerous this creature is, “Are you going to possess me?”

Rin narrows his eyes and arches an eyebrow, “First off, you’re already possessed. People who aren’t don’t exactly sit around having conversations with demons”. The startled expression he gains from that bit of information makes him smirk, so he decides to worsen the reaction by cluing the other in on some things he really doesn’t have to, “And stop sugarcoating things. I already know what you’re thinking. As long as we have some form of physical contact I have access to your every thought”, he shrugs his shoulder, still firmly pressed against Sousuke’s.

“Anyway, no I’m not going to take over your body and make you do _terrible_ things. Demons can’t do that. We can only make humans do things that they already have the will to do. I wouldn’t be able to make you go out there and rob a bank because you simply don’t have it in you. The Fallen are the ones with that ability. You should be wary of them. They’re angels, after all. They can manipulate humans and demons alike.”

Head spinning from everything he was told, Sousuke opts to stand up and walk to the other side of the coffee table, rubbing his shoulder. While the demon was talking, he took the time to look him over a little better. He noticed Rin’s pupils were normal, not slits like he always imagined a demon’s to be. The clothes the other wore were normal, too. But if Rin had been with him since he left the shrine, then he had more than enough time to figure out the fashion of today. He was troubled by the fact that he was already possessed and pretty damn worried about exactly how many of his thoughts Rin had managed to sift through. There are some things no one else knew. Things he planned on keeping to himself. He settled on focusing on his main concern and was building up the courage to ask if the demon planned to take over his body and make him do anything he **is** capable of but the look Rin gives him shuts that thought down immediately.

Rin smiles softly, sadly, “I don’t have to read your thoughts for this one. I wouldn’t do that to you, Sousuke. I really do think of you as my best friend.”

Maybe it’s stupid to trust a demon, but how sincere the other sounded and how heartbroken he looked stabbed straight through Sousuke. He gives Rin his own soft smile, “I believe you”.

_______________

Sousuke guessed it was close to lunch when his doorbell rang, waking him for the second time today. It was around seven that morning, after a shower and change of clothes, when exhaustion finally won and he managed to drift off. Needless to say, he wasn’t in the best of moods as he made his way to the door, passing by a confused looking Rin, who was still in front of the tv where Sousuke had left him after explaining how to use it. Already scowling, he cracks the door open and looks down at the man on the other side of the threshold, “What do you want, Nanase?”

“You were supposed to text me when you got in.”

Momentarily forgetting the demon perched on his couch, Sousuke lets the smaller man push his way into the apartment in favor of glaring at him instead, “You don’t even use your phone!”

Haru immediately sets off toward the kitchen area and begins preparing tea, “I had it on yesterday. Waiting.”

Grabbing two cups from the cabinet, Sousuke sighs, propping up against the countertop opposite the other, “I was tired.”

“I wanted to swim.”

“Then you should have gone.”

“I did.”

Sousuke scrubs a hand over his face. He didn’t get nearly enough sleep for this, “So what’s the fucking problem?”

Haru turns around then to face Sousuke, a hardly noticeable tenseness to his features, “You always swim when I’m training… For your shoulder.”

“Yeah, right.” Rin chimes in.

Sousuke damn near jumps out of his skin. He stops himself from looking over at the demon that decided to materialize himself with his ass parked on the counter right beside where Haru is standing, “I…”, he takes a sip of his tea, burning his tongue in the process. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Haru raises his eyebrows slightly.

“Tomorrow. I promise. Sorry.”

Haru holds eye contact with him for what feels like an eternity. Finally, “You’re acting weird, Yamazaki”. He sets his cup down next to him then looks up directly at Rin.

Sousuke holds his breath, readying himself for whatever reaction is to follow. Had Haru noticed Rin already and just didn’t say anything? No. He wouldn’t have ignored the presence of another person. Especially not one with horns and a tail, “I can explain”, he blurts out. But can he? Really?

Haru’s attention is drawn back to Sousuke, “You were tired. I get it”. He’s heading toward the door, now. “I’ll be at the pool around three”, and then he’s gone.

“Wow. His eyes are way more beautiful than how you picture them. Then again, his eyes aren’t exactly what you’re usually thinking about, hm?”, Rin’s grinning again.

Sousuke nearly drops his cup into the sink, placing his hand over his heart in an attempt to calm the furious beating, “I thought he saw you.”

Rin frowns, crossing his arms, “I already told you. You have to touch the stone and even then you can only see me if I want you to”. His demeanor changes again, a sly smile curling his lips, “He’s pretty. Makes sense that you want to fuck him senseless. Tie him to the headboard. Make a mess of him.”

He can’t hold back. He knows it’s dumb but hearing his darkest thoughts being said aloud, knowing that someone else _knows_. He can’t take it. He slams his hand against the marble top and grits his teeth, “Shut up. Shut the hell up! You don’t know anything. I feel… things for him. It’s not only-”, he isn’t entirely sure what to say now that he’s started. He really does feel things for Haru but exactly what kind of _things_ is still unclear. It’s true that Nanase Haruka can annoy him like no other. Occasionally he’s threatened bodily harm, knowing full well he’d never follow through because… because he has a frustratingly large soft spot for the little shit that can’t be justified by only wanting sex. It isn’t just

“Lust”, comes Rin’s velvety voice, whispered into Sousuke’s ear. Clawed hands delicately grasp Sousuke’s biceps and the demon carefully turns the other to face him. He wraps his arms around the taller man’s neck then continues, “There may be other feelings, but I know lust very well and that was the first thing you felt for him, and still do”. Rin lowers one of his hands to run down Sousuke’s chest then abdomen, “You don’t want to act on it, so let me help you”. His hand goes farther, “You can use me”, he palms Sousuke’s cock, “I can even look like Haruka if you like.”

The heat surrounding him is close to suffocating. He swallows hard, Rin’s plump lips enticing him to move forward. He takes a deep breath and gingerly pushes Rin back a little, “I would rather my first time with Nanase to be with him and not something that looks like him if it ever happens”. For a second Sousuke gives into temptation, and a bit of curiosity, and dips down to press his lips against the demon’s. The kiss is inhumanly hot, but his skin is soft and his tongue softer still. If Hell is real he’s definitely just reserved a spot there. He’s dazed by the time Rin breaks their kiss and ever so slowly crouches to his knees. ‘Devilish’ is the only word that can describe how the other is looking up at him as he takes his time pulling Sousuke’s sweats and boxers off his hips and past his knees. He removes his shirt, throwing it behind him somewhere then closes his eyes when Rin begins stroking him, licking his glans to coax him to full hardness.

The plus side of this ‘demon can read his mind through physical contact’ business comes when he feels his hands being placed on the others head. He looks down at Rin, who’s watching him expectantly, then pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. His first thrust is careful, not only for Rin’s sake but his own safety. Sharp teeth, sharp horns. All it would take is going too hard and it could end badly for him. He feels Rin squeeze the back of his thigh, reassuring him that he’s alright and again, though obviously ill-advised, Sousuke finds himself trusting the demon. He pushes Rin’s head toward him on the next thrust and every one thereafter. He’s losing himself in Rin’s tight, hot throat and can’t stop himself from loudly panting. He slows down, pulling back and moans when Rin sticks his tongue out, allowing Sousuke’s heavy erection to rest there. Sousuke slides his cock against the other’s tongue, admiring Rin’s spit-slicked lips and, embarrassingly so, becoming more turned on by the drool dripping from the demon’s chin. He feels sharp teeth against him, not hard enough to hurt, and he wasn’t even aware he had a kink for that until now.

Sousuke pushes back in, grinding deep into Rin’s throat once more before his abdominal muscles tighten and his body shivers with his orgasm. He’s sweating and dizzy when Rin stands, cradles Sousuke’s face in his hands, then kisses him again, sliding his tongue into the other’s mouth. That reservation in Hell? He was just moved to the front of the line.

It isn’t until that night when Sousuke is lying in bed, unable to sleep, that he wonders if he was manipulated by his demonic ‘best friend’.


	2. Unleashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Idle hands are the devil's playground.

“Where are you going?”

Sousuke quickly opens his eyes, cursing when they begin to burn from the shampoo. He turns, rinsing his face and rapidly blinking the suds away. He’s glaring when he faces the demon, “Don’t just pop up out of nowhere when I’m taking a shower!”

Rin smirks, blatantly looking the other up and down, “So, it’s fine as long as I join you normally?”

With an annoyed grunt, Sousuke continues bathing. He finishes, reaching for his towel hanging just beside the shower and rubs it over his hair a few times. He wraps the cloth around his waist and steps out to make his way to the sink to shave and brush his teeth. A hiss of breath escapes from between his teeth when he nicks his chin because his demon appears behind him in the mirror. “Stop fucking doing that”, he growls and sticks a small piece of toilet paper on the cut after finishing up and washing the shaving cream off.

“Stop ignoring me, then”

Sousuke sighs, “I have class”, a pause before adding, “and I just need some time to come to terms with what happened yesterday.”

Rin arches an eyebrow, “You mean getting sucked off by a demon?”

He stops brushing his teeth for a moment and glances at the other in the mirror, “Being possessed by a demon in general”, spits toothpaste into the sink, “and… _that_.”

The idea of it all was still confusing to Sousuke. Hell, he still isn’t sure if it’s real or if he actually has gone insane. If he were to get someone else to touch the stone then maybe, if Rin would play along, he’d know for certain what the truth is. But, intentionally making another person get possessed sounded pretty morally wrong. Though the demon hadn’t done anything horrible so far it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t eventually. Plus, what if Rin really is only being friendly with him because of their past together? What if he is evil and would make others do awful things? Sousuke hadn’t noticed the warm hands sliding up his sides and around to his chest until claws began lightly dragging down to the towel around his hips.

“Don’t worry. I became bored with causing chaos a long time ago. It quit being fun about 500 years back when I got bound to that rock”. He wraps his arms around Sousuke’s waist from behind, “Can I go?”

Sousuke easily steps out of the other’s hold, walking to his bedroom to get dressed, “With me to Uni? Why would you even want to tag along?”

Instead of scaring the poor human again, Rin walks to the doorway of Sousuke’s bedroom and props himself against the doorframe then crosses his arms, “It’s been so long since I’ve been around humans. I’m curious. I want to see how everything’s changed.”

“Then why don’t you just take the stone and wander around or something?”

“Wow! You’re right! Why have I _never_ thought of just taking it with me? Fuck, I’m so stupid. It’s simple. I can just pick it up and be free to go wherever I want!”, Rin narrows his eyes when the other looks at him, surprised by the harsh sarcasm. “I can’t touch it, idiot”.

Sousuke nods his head, cheeks flushing, “You’re right. That was a pretty dumb thing to suggest”.

In the end, Sousuke agreed to Rin’s request. The demon swore he would be on his best behavior and wouldn’t tempt anyone to act on anything immoral by human standards. On the way, Rin talked about how he ended up bound to the stone in the first place. He spoke of the greed of a warlord who had it done when he learned that Rin had grown tired of ‘playing’ with him. He supposedly did it because he was in love with Rin and promised to have the bond broken before he died. Instead, the man ordered that the stone be placed in the shrine out of jealousy so that Rin would never be able to be with anyone else. The only people to visit the shrine after that were Priests which Rin couldn’t possess nor fight against. Then, years passed and soon the shrine was abandoned.

Hearing the story made Sousuke wonder what would happen when Rin started to grow tired of him. Was he already bored with him and only wanted to use him to see what had become of the world? The thought made his stomach knot and that startled him. He writes it off, assuming that anyone would feel sick if they thought their best friend was merely using them. Ah… so Rin still holds that place. Normally, it would be rather awkward for one’s closest friend to do such intimate things with the other. But, he considers, this isn’t exactly what could constitute as a normal friendship in the first place.

He stops off for a coffee and that quickly becomes an annoyance. The couple in front of him is taking too much time, asking the barista to explain practically everything on the menu. He checks his phone for the time, then sighs loudly enough to gain the couple’s attention. Sousuke bites the inside of his cheek when the female turns to steal a glance at him then proceeds to roll her eyes and go back to pestering the person behind the counter. He was about to make a complaint aloud when Rin steps toward the pair.

Sousuke has half a mind to stop him but Rin had made a promise. He watches the demon place a hand on the woman’s shoulder first, then the man’s, and he leans forward to whisper. He withdraws and steps back only for the couple to abruptly turn and leave without another word.

“Next”, the barista looks at Sousuke with hopeful eyes.

With his coffee, black, in hand, he continues his journey to the university. “What did you say to them?” he asks, keeping his voice low.

“It was their first time there. They have a favorite spot so I told them to quit wasting time at a place they didn’t even know if they liked.”

Sousuke takes a sip of his coffee, mulling over his next question “So, you possessed them, too?”

Rin snorts, shaking his head, “Demons can make humans act through suggestion alone. No need to possess everyone we come in contact with. That would be irritating.”

They make it to the lecture hall with only a couple of minutes to spare. It proved to be rather difficult to concentrate, Sousuke continuously found his eyes following Rin who was excitedly floating around the room, peering over other student’s shoulders at phones being played with under desks or opened tabs on laptops that had nothing to do with the class they were attending. He finally tried redirecting his focus to his notebook page, posing his pencil to begin taking notes but jerked back when Rin appeared in front of him, seated sideways on his desk, legs crossed over the side. The sudden movement had others around him raising curious eyebrows to which he ignored and instead pretended to stare at the professor in the front of the room but his view was blocked by the demon.

He clears his throat, reaching to tug his notebook out from under Rin’s ass but is surprised when his hand simply goes through the other and he touches his page. He still slides it to the other side of his desk and quickly scribbles a note.

_‘Could you not?’_

“I’m bored.”

Sousuke frowns _‘You’re the one that wanted to come’_

A bored demon sounds like it could cause a problem so Sousuke is about to write out a suggestion when he feels hands rubbing up his legs to his thighs and spreading them apart. Wide-eyed, he glances down to see that sharp grin and flickering red eyes staring up at him. The implication of Rin’s position has Sousuke’s blood draining down south but he still tries shying a leg away from the other’s grip.

“You’ve thought about this before, getting away with lewd things in the middle of a lecture.” Rin purrs.

He isn’t sure if it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot. So, he attempts to respond to the other mentally, _“Fleeting thoughts are a thing. Just because it crosses my mind doesn’t mean I actually want to do it. Quit.”_

Rin takes the opportunity to nip at the inside of Sousuke’s thigh before sighing. He’s standing next to Sousuke again, arms crossed over his chest. He waits till the other looks up at him then rolls his eyes dramatically, “Fine~. I don’t understand why humans say ‘no’ when they so often mean ‘yes’. It’s ridiculous.”

_“It’s called self-control. You should try it.”_

Rin’s brows furrow, eyes narrowing and he bares his teeth for a moment before leaning forward, “You think I **haven’t** been control-”

“Sousuke~!”

Their attention turns to a man waving at his target. Dismissal for lunch had gone unnoticed by the pair and now violet eyes have tracked down and spotted Sousuke. “Shit”, he mumbles, “Kisumi.”

Kisumi arrives at Sousuke’s desk in a matter of seconds, combing his fingers through his shaggy pink hair and smiling, “Want to grab lunch together?”

Sousuke looks around as he bends down to gather up his satchel and books, realizing that the demon has completely vanished. He must be pissed and that makes Sousuke eager to not be alone again for a little while. He wasn’t sure what would await him on the receiving end of a demon’s anger, but he wasn’t ready to find out just yet. “Sure.”

As he’d figured, Kisumi lead him to a cafe where several other of their mutual friends greeted them. Once Kisumi spots the person he really came here for, he abandons Sousuke and makes a bee-line to the chair next to the guy with messy red hair that Sousuke has never had an actual conversation with. He surveys his seating options then and beats his excitement back down into his chest when he realizes the only vacant place is right next to an unenthused Haru.

Sousuke sits, placing his satchel on the floor and using his foot to slide it under the table. He returns Makoto’s welcoming smile with his own less bright, barely there curl of the lips and busies himself with looking over the menu Haru slid over to him without so much as taking his eyes from his own meal.

“Our classes have been canceled for the rest of the day. Will you be joining us at Haru’s apartment until he has to go back to the pool?”, Makoto asks, still smiling at Sousuke.

Makoto has been with Haru a few times when they would meet up to swim together. But it seems like Makoto still isn’t aware that it’s become a _thing_ now and, more often than not, Sousuke makes his way to the pool to be with Haru. They see each other almost every single day at this point. You would think they’d be closer, have more things to talk about. But this is about as friendly as they ever get, even with spending so much time together. It’s not that Sousuke doesn’t want to take things further. He just holds himself back. He’s worried Haru would reject the idea of actually being able to call each other ‘friends’. He also doesn’t want to put himself in that situation because then if he were caught intently taking in the other’s body while they washed the chlorine from their skin in the showers afterward, it could cause many other problems.

Sousuke suddenly becomes incredibly hot, tugging at the collar of his shirt a few times, “I still have one more class. Maybe next time.”, he glances at Haru who is giving him a hard sidelong look. Sousuke nods, answering the other’s question that he’s interpreted as ‘We’re still on for today, right? You promised.’

The thought of Haru actually looking forward to seeing him every day has Sousuke’s heart speeding up. But, he reminds himself that Haru is a creature of comfort and Haru finds routine comfortable. Sousuke doesn’t remember exactly how swimming together became routine for them, but, in the beginning, Haru was notably more tense at someone interfering and messing up his set pattern.

Sousuke realizes Makoto has gone quiet and looks up in time to see, what he thinks, is Makoto studying him and Haru, smile gone. He quickly replaces it and, ever so casually, says “Maybe you can meet up later? I’m sure Haru would enjoy your company.”

Makoto’s last statement has Haru frowning and turning away from the conversation. Sousuke grunts out a “Maybe” and promptly moves his attention back to the menu.

 

 

As Sousuke nervously bites his lip, he realizes his worrying earlier about Rin still being nowhere to be found was foolish. Now, he watches him pace back and forth at the front of the room, eyeing everyone. When the last student slips in and the professor parts her lips to speak, a wicked grin spreads across the demon’s face.

The sharp inhale the woman had taken to begin her lecture slowly creeps from her mouth and her eyes go blank. Then, “Go home. I don’t want to be here anymore than any of you. Class is canceled.”

“Rin”, Sousuke grits out when they exit the building, “What the fuck was that?”

The demon purses his lips into a pout, “I was doing you a favor. You wanted to go to Haruka’s.” he smiles, “I do, too.”

“We agreed you wouldn’t manipulate people… persuade them or whatever.”

Rin holds up a finger, “If it’s morally deplorable by human standards and it wasn’t.”

Well, Sousuke can’t argue with that. But the demon’s want to go to Haru’s has him on edge. “Why the interest in Nanase?”

The question earns a snort from the other, “Not an interest in him, per se. It’s frustrating to watch you dance around your feelings but amusing as well. I want you to be happy.”

Rin’s straightforward admission catches Sousuke off guard. He tightens his hold on the strap of his satchel and smiles to himself. The idea that he could potentially be putting other people in danger slips from his mind. Though a demon, Rin is kind enough to want something for someone else. He thought demons were beings that embodied every negative trait humans have. But, that doesn’t seem to describe Rin at all. The other obviously doesn’t understand boundaries and what lines shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to “friends”. However, maybe he shouldn’t expect him to.

He has a demon on his side, rooting for him and pushing for his happiness. A demon that thinks of him as his best friend. Sousuke decides he’s going to stop doubting Rin so much.

Sousuke doesn’t give any thought to his actions when Haru lets him into his apartment and he removes the contents of his pocket and places them on the small stand in Haru’s tiny genkan before removing his shoes and nonchalauntly following the other to his kitchen. He might be imagining it, but he could have swore there was a faint blush dusting Haru’s cheeks.

Sousuke looks around, this only being one of a handful of times that he’s been here. “Thought Tachibana would be here.”

“Already left.” Haru mumbles, shutting his refrigerator and shoving a Coke at Sousuke.

“Didn’t take you for someone that likes Cola.”

Haru looks at him pointedly, “I don’t.”

For a moment, Sousuke suddenly finds the courage to take action. Confess his feelings. He wants to reach out, cradle the back of Haru’s head in his large hand, and pull him into a kiss. Haru would cling to the chest of Sousuke’s shirt, bringing him in closer. Sousuke would then lift the other up to sit on the countertop and nudge himself between Haru’s legs. From there, they would-

The loud thunk that comes from the entryway makes Sousuke blink back to reality. He exchanges confused glances with Haru before the other walks away to follow the sound. Sousuke takes a sip from his can, mentally berating himself for getting caught up in a fantasy. He places his Cola on the counter, right where he’d pictured Haru sitting only seconds before, then pales when Haru enters the room again, this time holding the stone in his hand.

Haru has an eyebrow raised, holding the rock out to the other, “Yours?”

Sousuke refrains from snatching it, instead calmly taking it and rubbing it’s side where it looks like a couple of pieces chipped off in the fall. He returns it to his pocket and looks at Rin smirking at him from the living room. He catches Haru tracing his gaze from the corner of his eyes and fully expects a barrage of questions. Instead…

“Did you want to sit?” Haru is looking at him again.

Sousuke audibly swallows, “I…”

“I’m not allowing him to see me.” Rin’s flicking his hand back and forth, waving away Sousuke’s worry. He chuckles, “Yet.”

 

 

The mutual decision was made to go to the pool earlier than what was agreed upon the day before. Sousuke had become awkward after Haru touched the stone, so he needed something to take his mind off the looming fact that Rin would eventually show himself to Haru. That Haru was now possessed. He wanted to go back to his apartment and leave the rock there but he couldn’t come up with a viable excuse for needing to stop by, already having packed his legskins, swim cap, goggles and towel that morning before class.

He swam for a while, heeding his doctor’s orders to not push himself then resigned to hanging from the wall of the pool and watching Haru. The other swimmer was beautiful in the water and it was a welcomed distraction for Sousuke. The only thing that made enjoying this time a bit disturbing was how Rin did seem increasingly interested in Haru while he watched him swim. There was something sparking in the demon’s eyes that made Sousuke fearful, but also possessive.

Rin places himself in Haru’s lane at the end beside Sousuke, playing with the water while he intently watches Haru, “He’s impressive.” he admits. “I’d love to race him.”

Sousuke eyes him cautiously, “That would hardly be a fair race.”

“I’d dumb down my abilities. Put myself at a human level.” Rin shrugs.

Haru slows, fingertips barely brushing the wall before he stands and removes his goggles. He’s breathing heavy and he shakes some water from his hair. He narrows his eyes and looks over at Sousuke, “The water’s warm here.” he says accusingly.

It takes a second for Sousuke to catch onto what the other is implying, “That’s disgusting, Nanase. I wouldn’t do that.”

Haru keeps his eyes locked with Sousuke’s, disbelieving. He parts his lips to speak again but his breath hitches and he shivers.

Sousuke watches in horror. Rin has placed himself behind Haru and is seductively dragging his sharp nails up the other’s body. He leans forward and licks the shell of Haru’s ear then drops his head down to ghost his breath over the other’s neck. He’s whispering something, but Sousuke can only hear his heart pounding in his ears. Haru meets Sousuke’s stare again, face flushed and his usual deadpan expression has been replaced by something completely unraveled.

Without a word, Haru slips out of the pool and quickly wraps his towel around his hips, scurrying off to the showers. Rin is gone and that wills Sousuke out of the pool, chasing after Haru. The other is already in a stall, curtain drawn shut when Sousuke catches up to him. Rin is sitting on one of the benches in the room, legs crossed and smiling mischievously up at Sousuke.

“He’s touching himself, you know?” Rin breaks into a grin, “All you have to do is go in.” he motions to the occupied stall. “He’s so pliant right now. So willing. He’d take anything you would give him.”

Sousuke’s breath stutters, leaving him in rapid bursts. “Who is he thinking of?”

Rin raises his eyebrows, “Are you sure you want the answer?”

Does he? If Haru wouldn’t refuse him right now, why shouldn’t he take advantage of the situation? _‘Because I’m not a monster’_ , he tells himself. Haru’s reaction was obviously caused by Rin’s influence. And, to finally have Haru, to be with him, would be one of the most satisfying things he’s ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But, he doesn’t want that if Haru isn’t thinking of him. He doesn’t want it if Haru isn’t thinking clearly enough to consent to it. Sousuke is backing away from the stall now, stopping at the locker he’d left his things in and hastily changing his clothes, not even bothering drying off. “I’m out, Nanase. Later.”, he raises his voice so the other can hear him over the water falling against the tiled floor.

He doesn’t wait for a response and all but runs outside, taking a deep breath before setting off toward his apartment. He’s terrified, mainly of himself. And he’s angry. Furious, even. What he’d almost done… What he’d almost given into was sickening. Not a moment after making it home and slamming his door shut does he bellow Rin’s name. When the other appears in front of him, he throws his bag to the ground and is immediately in his face, “You said you wouldn’t do that.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“You made me believe you!” Sousuke laughs bitterly, shaking his head.

“It wasn’t… You don’t understand.”

“BULLSHIT!” Sousuke yells.

Rin has the audacity to look hurt. He lowers his head, voice soft, “I was trying to give you what you wanted.”

Sousuke covers his mouth with his hand, trying to regulate his breathing but he doesn’t stop glaring at the demon. His temples are pulsating. Finally, his hand goes back to his side, balled into a fist, “You’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Rin looks up at the other, mouth slightly open and eyes wide. His brows scrunch together and it almost looks like he’s about to cry. He hesitantly cups the side of Sousuke’s face, “Let me make it up to you?”

Sousuke doesn’t say anything but he also doesn’t fight when Rin gently leads him to his bedroom. The demon crawls onto the mattress, completely bare, and looks over his shoulder, staying on his hands and knees, “How do you want me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been done for a while. I guess I didn't post it because I was going to add more to it but oh well.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've been gone for a while. I finally managed to write something again but I'm a bit rusty. My other works will be on hiatus for now. Whenever I try to write for them I get extremely depressed and just avoid writing altogether, so unless I magically feel like writing a new chapter for one of them, I'm not sure when I will continue any of them. BUT, I still don't plan on abandoning any of them. Since I'm finally able to write again I just want to have fun with this and hopefully it'll reignite my passion.


End file.
